Tom Riddle

We get into the specifically, of Tom Riddle"s diary in "Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory." Here, we"re simply going come talk about Tom Riddle as a character. The is important to the all at once arc that the novels because, as he says, "Voldemort <…> is my past, present, and future" (17.69). Riddle"s full name (Tom Marvolo Riddle) is an anagram because that "I Am mr Voldemort." for the whole year, Ginny has actually been equivalent in a diary through the young Voldemort. No wonder she"s been looking pale and also sickly for so much of the time.

One the the points we love around Book 2 is that we gain to see exactly how Voldemort works without automatically recognizing the it"s Voldemort, since sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle is a long means from the snaky-faced creature we observed peering out of the back of Professor Quirrell"s head in book 1. Tom Riddle is handsome and appealing; together he tells Harry, "If i say the myself, Harry, I"ve constantly been able come charm the people I needed" (17.45). Ginny writes to Tom Riddle, feeling that that is "like having a girlfriend can carry around in pocket" (17.43). Even Harry drops for it in ~ first, believing Riddle"s memories without imagining that Riddle might have his own motives for setup up Hagrid to take it the blame for the room of Secrets. Together Professor Dumbledore concludes, "Older and also wiser wizards 보다 have actually been hoodwinked by lord Voldemort" (18.23). He"s an excellent at getting trust to manipulate people.

Still, the 2nd aspect of Tom Riddle"s personality that clearly foreshadows his transformation into Voldemort is his utter coldness. He has actually absolutely no shred of sympathy for the people around him. Once he discusses own Ginny or frame Hagrid, the talks about their resides with so lot disdain that it"s nearly violent: "So i made Ginny create her very own farewell top top the wall and come down here to wait. She struggled and also cried and also became very boring" (17.64). Riddle is talking about an eleven-year-old girl do the efforts to save her own life, and also the only adjective he have the right to muster is "boring." even at sixteen, Riddle has no emotion for others, which is what allows him to end up being the creature he is at the time that he killing Harry"s parents.

In fact, J.K. Rowling has actually emphasized exactly this element of Voldemort"s personality in interviews. Once asked if Voldemort had ever loved anyone, she replied: "No, never. <…> If he had, the couldn"t perhaps be what the is" (source).

One various other hugely important information of Voldemort"s character shows up in Chamber that Secrets. Riddle tells Harry the his father was a "foul, usual Muggle, that abandoned even before was born, just due to the fact that he discovered out his mam was a witch" (17.72). In various other words, despite every one of the pureblood crap the his followers spout, Voldemort himself is half-Muggle. Voldemort"s beginnings prove the he might hate Muggles (in fact, he certainly hates Muggles), but what he wants more than this pureblood stuff is his own an individual power.


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If he needs to manipulate purebloods to obtain it, that"s what he"ll do. Blood is certainly more important to a male like Lucius Malfoy than to Voldemort.